Apple presents new iPhones with ultra-slim Air model

Samuel Buchmann

9/9/2025

Translation: machine translated

The iPhone Air is Apple's thinnest smartphone ever. Meanwhile, the new Pro model has a new telephoto camera and looks significantly different from its predecessor.

Apple has unveiled the 17th generation of its smartphones. The iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max have a new design, various camera improvements and a new chip. Larger batteries should ensure longer battery life.

Apple is replacing the Plus model with the iPhone Air. It is the thinnest iPhone ever and weighs less than the smaller models despite its 6.5-inch display. However, the slimming down means only a single camera and less battery life.

The regular iPhone 17 inherits the 6.3-inch display with 120 Hertz (ProMotion) from last year's Pro model. The front camera with 18 megapixels is a cross-model innovation. It has a wider perspective and a sensor twice as large as the previous one.

The new iPhones will be available from 19 September and can be pre-ordered from Friday 12 September. The official sales prices:

• iPhone 17, 256 GB: 799 francs / 949 euros
• iPhone Air, 256 GB: 999 francs / 1199 euros
• iPhone 17 Pro, 256 GB: 1099 francs / 1299 euros
• iPhone 17 Pro Max, 256 GB: 1199 francs / 1449 euros

iPhone 17 Pro: fresh design, new telephoto camera

After five years of the iPhone Pro looking virtually the same, Apple is giving it a major redesign this year. The «camera plateau» (original keynote) is rectangular and extends across the entire width of the back. Underneath, a Ceramic Shield glass is embedded in an aluminium unibody (R.I.P. Titan). The front consists of a new Ceramic Shield 2, which is said to be three times more scratch-resistant than the first version. It also appears to reduce reflections better. The available colours are silver, «deep blue» and «cosmic orange». The latter is reminiscent of the Action Button on the Apple Watch Ultra.

One reason for the larger camera module is probably the new telephoto camera. It has a slightly shorter focal length of 100 millimetres (full-frame equivalent). This corresponds to a fourfold zoom, if you prefer to think in smartphone terms. In return, the sensor is 56 per cent larger and now offers the same 48-megapixel resolution as the other two rear cameras. This enables a digital zoom of 200 millimetres (eight times). However, the resolution then drops to 12 megapixels.

With the new video features, it is clear that Apple is also targeting vloggers with the iPhone 17 Pro. The smartphone can record front and rear videos simultaneously. The cameras on the back can also handle ProRes RAW, although this professional video format is unlikely to be useful in most cases.

In addition to the camera, Apple is also improving the chip. The new A19 Pro with 6-core CPU and 6-core GPU is said to be up to 40 per cent faster than its predecessor. Apple's specifications do not reveal whether it also has more RAM. The A18 Pro only had eight gigabytes. Apple is relying on its new in-house C1X modem, which is said to be better than the one from Qualcomm in the iPhone 16 Pro.

Both the A19 Pro and the C1X are particularly energy-efficient, according to Apple. At the same time, the battery capacity increases. The bottom line is that this should ensure longer battery life. Apple claims 33 hours of video playback for the normal iPhone 17 Pro and 39 hours for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. That's six hours more than its predecessor in each case. However, these figures only apply to the eSIM-only variants. As the iPhone 17 Pro still has a physical slot in Europe, it only has 31 and 37 hours of video playback in this country.

After the fiasco surrounding the insufficiently robust «FineWoven», Apple is making a second attempt at a textile case. The new attempt is called «TechWoven» and should be significantly more durable thanks to a coating. Different coloured yarns would provide a «dimensional texture». The TechWoven cases for the iPhone 17 Pro are available in black, blue, purple, «Siena» (a shade of brown) and green.

iPhone Air: slim and reduced

For the first time, Apple is Air-ifying its smartphone. The concept of the iPhone Air is reminiscent of the first MacBook Air: it sacrifices features and battery life on the altar of slimness. The result is an extremely thin, yet large iPhone. It measures just 5.6 millimetres in thickness.

The display diagonal is 6.5 inches - almost as large as the old iPhone 16 Plus, of which there is no successor. Weighing just 165 grammes, the iPhone Air should feel very light for its size. The back is made of glass with Ceramic Shield, the frame is made of titanium. The iPhone Air is available in black, white, «light gold» and «sky blue».

The disadvantage of the thin design is a shorter battery life than other models. Apple says the smartphone will still last all day and claims 27 hours of video playback - the same as the iPhone 16 Pro, three less than the iPhone 17 and four less than the iPhone 17 Pro. The Air is equipped with a slightly slimmed-down A19 Pro with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU as well as the C1X modem. The display is capable of ProMotion (120 Hertz). The physical SIM card slot has been omitted worldwide.

The second disadvantage compared to the other models is the single camera on the back with a focal length of 26 millimetres and a resolution of 48 megapixels. The front camera with 18 megapixels is the same as on the other models and the iPhone Air also supports dual capture.

iPhone 17: 120 hertz at last

Like its larger siblings, the regular iPhone model has a new front camera with 18 megapixels and Ceramic Shield 2 to protect the display. The iPhone 17 should also offer improved battery life - 8 hours more video playback compared to the previous model. This corresponds to an increase of 36 per cent. In terms of colour, it comes in black, white, «fog blue», «sage» and «lavender».

The biggest upgrade is for the display. Compared to its predecessor, it is slightly larger (6.3 instead of 6.1 inches) and finally supports 120 Hertz (ProMotion). As with the more expensive models, the maximum brightness is 3000 nits. An A19 chip with a 6-core CPU and 5-core GPU is employed inside. The ultra-wide-angle camera has a larger sensor with a resolution of 48 megapixels.

You can pre-order the new iPhones from 12 September. A test report will follow in the next few weeks, and we will also be talking about the new devices in the Techtelmechtel podcast. If you want to watch the keynote, you can find the recording here:

Samuel Buchmann

Senior Editor

Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.ch

My fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.

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